The Selective Control Design Refers to Combining Various Quasi-Experimental Designs

question 21

Essay

The selective control design refers to combining various quasi-experimental designs to control the threats to internal validity that are thought to be the most viable to a particular evaluation. Suppose that a college instituted a program to help retain freshmen so that a greater proportion re-enrolled for the sophomore year than in the past. The obvious comparison is between the re-enrollment rates of the current freshmen and the previous year's freshmen. What threats to internal validity weaken the conclusions that one could draw from such a comparison? Expand on this basic design, seeking to control at least some of the threats to the internal validity of the design.

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Definitions:

Landslides

The movement of rock, earth, or debris down a slope due to gravity.

Thrusting

A type of geological fault movement where one block of the earth's crust is pushed up over another.

Strike-Slip Fault

A type of fault where the movement of blocks along the fault is horizontal, parallel to the fault line.

Subduction Zone

A geological region at convergent boundaries where one tectonic plate moves under another and into the mantle, leading to volcanic and seismic activity.