Use of logos, pathos, ethos for persuasion in cancer pamphlets

Ting, Su Hie and Myra, Ungau and Collin, Jerome (2020) Use of logos, pathos, ethos for persuasion in cancer pamphlets. The Internet Journal of Language, Culture and Society, 49. pp. 13-25. ISSN 1327-774X

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Abstract

In view of the lack of findings on persuasive strategies used in health risk messages, the study examined the use of logos, pathos, and ethos for persuasion in cancer pamphlets. Using Aristotle’s (1954) rhetorical appeals, qualitative content analysis was conducted for 10 cancer pamphlets disseminated in Malaysia. The analysis revealed an over-reliance on logos (96.73%) while pathos and ethos are rarely used. The pamphlets offer dense information on the location of the cancer, symptoms, incidence, risk factors, preventive measures, early detection, and treatment. Pathos appears in the form of a call to save their lives from the killer on six of the cancer pamphlets but there is lack of information on disease severity. The near absence of the emotional appeal may lessen urgency of cancer screening. The ethos appeal lies in the name of the government agency, lending authority to the pamphlet. The paper offers suggestions on how emotional and ethical appeals can be incorporated in cancer risk messages to increase persuasiveness.

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