Question

four - year - old tommy describes all adults as tall because they are taller than he is. but when he hears his father describe another adult as tall, tommy becomes confused. tommy has missed the ____ of the word \tall\.
a relative time and place
b relative meaning
c appearance - reality distinction
d preoperational reasoning

Explanation:

Tommy initially defines "tall" relative to himself but gets confused when he hears his father's relative use of the word. The key here is that he fails to understand the relative nature of the word's meaning in different contexts.

Answer:

B. relative meaning