Many students tend to develop illnesses in the days before final exams. A psychologist who notes that students become stressed as well during this time may attempt to claim that the reason for the increase in student illness is that __________.

The psychologist is suggesting that increased stress before exams may explain why more students become ill. Research has found that stress can suppress immune functioning, which may make people more vulnerable to illness. Therefore, the correct choice is “research has found that stress can suppress immune functioning.”

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.