Assignment task:
Most professors notice a significant increase in the number of students who report being sick during their exams / term papers at the end of the semester. Research on health psychology discussed in this course suggests that a plausible explanation for this phenomenon is that... A. students are under greater stress at the end of semester and may thus interpret minor cold symptoms as more severe than they actually are. B. students are no more likely to report being sick, but professors expect to see more sick students, causing them to notice and pay more attention to the occasional sick student. C. illnesses during the semester typically cause students to fall behind on their work throughout the semester, culminating in having the greatest need to fake an illness to get an extension during the end of semester. D. the added stress of upcoming final exams may weaken students' immune systems, making them more vulnerable to infection. E. None of the above statements is consistent with research we've discussed in this course.