Self-selection is a term used to indicate any situation in which individuals select themselves into a group.
For example, some people may decide to enroll into some government benefits program, while others decide not to enroll. Self-selection also happens in purchasing choices , if some people decide to buy some products and others decide not to buy those products. That is, some people decide to be in some group (program participants, purchasers of product X), while others decide not to be in that group.
For example, in a jobs training program, some people decide to participate, and others, for whatever reason, do not participate. It may be that those who do participate are those who are most determined to find a job, or who have the best support resources, thus allowing them to participate. The people who participate are somehow different from those who don't participate, and it may be the difference, not the program, that leads to a successful outcome for the participants, that is, finding a job.
Self-selection causes problems for research about the programs or products. In particular, self-selection makes it difficult to evaluate programs, to determine whether the program has some effect, and makes it difficult to do market research.
Self-selection is a major problem is research in sociology, psychology, economics and many other social sciences.
See also