A man is looking at a tree. What is the proximal stimulus?
A) the tree
B) the light waves reflected by the tree
C) the image cast by the tree on the man's retina
D) the pattern of nerve impulses triggered by the retinal image and conducted by the optic nerve to the brain

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The proximal stimulus is the stimulus that directly impinges on an observer's sensory receptor cells. In this case, the tree is the distal stimulus (the object in the external world), but the image of the tree cast on the man's retina is the proximal stimulus.

A Man Is Looking at a Tree