Which factor is cited as contributing to more anxiety disorders among students?

• A. Students are under more significant testing pressure and staff member reactions to pressure.
• B. There are fewer stressors in schools.
• C. Anxiety is solely genetic.
• D. Anxiety disorders are decreasing.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that increased testing pressure in schools, together with how staff respond to that pressure, contributes to anxiety disorders among students. When students face frequent high-stakes assessments, they worry about performance, grades, and future opportunities, and this worry can become persistent. If teachers react with pressure, punishment, or harsh criticism rather than support, it amplifies stress and can push anxious feelings into more persistent anxiety problems. This combination helps explain why more students show signs of anxiety disorders.

The other statements don’t fit because schools aren’t free of stressors; they often have many sources of pressure like workload, social dynamics, and time constraints. Anxiety isn’t solely genetic—while genetics play a role, environmental factors like classroom climate and testing demands matter a lot. And there isn’t evidence that anxiety disorders are universally decreasing; trends don’t support a simple downward pattern.