Engl 316Technical Communication

Pathos: Appeal to Emotion

Pathos describes writers' attempts to appeal to human emotions (i.e. pity, fear, pleasure, humor) and desires (i.e. to be loved, to be popular, to be unique). In order to appeal effectively to emotions, writers must be aware of the current, likely, and desired emotional states of their audience. They target audiences in certain ways in order to solicit certain reactions. Writers must obviously be aware of their audience's values, experiences, and beliefs in order to effect a change, to manipulate an effect on the emotional state of the audience according to the author's persuasive purpose.

Many would say that pathos has no real place in technical communication. And in most senses, such people are right. Effective technical communication does not try to entertain or manipulate emotions. However, there is a human element to all communication, and pathos oftentimes supplies the reason why readers should care about the technical information they receive. For example, an article about the efficacy of a new infant drug could begin with horrifying statistics about how many children die from disease each year. Another article could describe a new wheelchair design and how it has allowed a disabled mother to have a more independent life. These statistics and images appeal to a reader's emotions. Pathos is important because we rarely make decisions based solely on logic. Emotion is oftentimes what moves us to action.

Again, consider Jones's article on electronic lifeguard systems. He begins by providing a series of reasons as to why his research is important and significant. He presents the number of people who die each year from drowning in backyard pools. Furthermore, he implies that most of these people are small children. Such descriptions appeal to a reader's emotions, giving Jones's discussion added urgency and importance. In what other ways do you see Jones using pathos to appeal to his readers?