Why does a 5-year-old child become confused by the father's sarcastic comment?

The correct answer centers on the child's lack of understanding of the role of pragmatics in interpreting meaning. Pragmatics involves the social and contextual aspects of language, including how tone, context, and intent influence the meaning of what is said. A 5-year-old is still developing these skills and may not recognize that the father’s tone or context in which the comment is made suggests that he is not being serious.

At this age, children typically take language quite literally and struggle to grasp subtleties like sarcasm, which relies heavily on social cues and shared knowledge between conversational partners. Therefore, without a developed ability to interpret these cues, the child may be confused by the comment, misinterpreting it based on a literal understanding rather than the intended sarcastic meaning.

The options that discuss syntax or cognitive development do not directly address the specific social language skill needed in this context, and while familiarity with the term "sarcasm" may play a role, the broader challenge lies in mastering the pragmatic understanding necessary to interpret such remarks.