Questions: An institutional review board (IRB) rejected a proposal for research where participants requesting to lesion Wernicke's Area in otherwise healthy individuals to study the resulting speech comprehension issues. Which of the following is the most likely ethical consideration for rejecting the study? (A) Informed Consent B Protection from Harm (C) Deception (D) Generalizability of Results

The answer is B Protection from Harm

While informed consent is a critical ethical consideration in research, it is unlikely to be the primary reason for rejecting this study. Informed consent involves ensuring that participants are fully aware of the nature of the research, including any potential risks, and voluntarily agree to participate. However, even with informed consent, the ethical issue of causing harm remains.

This is the most likely ethical consideration for rejecting the study. The proposed research involves intentionally causing brain lesions in healthy individuals, which poses significant risks and potential harm. The principle of "do no harm" is a fundamental ethical guideline in research, and intentionally causing harm to participants is generally considered unethical, regardless of the potential scientific benefits.

Deception involves misleading participants about the nature of the research, which is not the primary issue in this scenario. The ethical concern here is not about deceiving participants but about the direct harm that the research could cause.

While generalizability is an important consideration in research design, it is not an ethical issue that would lead to the rejection of a study proposal. The primary concern here is the potential harm to participants, not the applicability of the research findings to a broader population.