1
Surrounded by Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
Mackenzie Malone
College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University
ENG-105 English Composition I
Jim Higuear
December 1, 2021 2
Surrounded by Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
ADHD (Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder) is a growing epidemic that many peo -
ple don’t know a lot about. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) created a webpage to inform American citizens of ADHD. The purpose of this webpage is to both enhance
people’s knowledge on ADHD and to provide information on the signs and symptoms, symptom management, the different types, it ’s causes, how it’s diagnosed, and treatment options. The CDC’s website informs American citizens about ADHD effectively by utilizing the rhetorical ap -
peals; ethos, logos, and pathos.
The most frequently used rhetorical appeal throughout the webpage was ethos. Ethos is the dependability and trustworthiness that a speaker possesses, in this case, the CDC. Throughout
the site, the CDC is a very well known government organization that has a history of good ethics.
To further prove their credibility, they included many links to their sources and provide a number
of data to support their information. According to the National Parent Survey taken in 2003 and 2016, the number of children that have been diagnosed with ADHD increased from 4.4 million to 6.1 million (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). This information was fol -
lowed by a bar-graph that not only visually showed the data, but it made the webpage more cred -
ible and reliable. Thanks to the CDC ’s dependable reputation, the citizens of the United States that ADHD is an issue that is escalating at an alarming rate. Logos is another rhetorical appeal that was also used frequently throughout the CDC ’s ADHD webpage. Logos, also referred to as logic, is any sort of proof that can be used to make an argument. The “proof” that would be considered a logical appeal would be data, statistics, case studies, references, facts, or figures. The CDC does an amazing job at providing countless forms of logistical evidence to its readers. The Journal of Affective Disorders does an amazing
Surrounded by Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
Mackenzie Malone
College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University
ENG-105 English Composition I
Jim Higuear
December 1, 2021 2
Surrounded by Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
ADHD (Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder) is a growing epidemic that many peo -
ple don’t know a lot about. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) created a webpage to inform American citizens of ADHD. The purpose of this webpage is to both enhance
people’s knowledge on ADHD and to provide information on the signs and symptoms, symptom management, the different types, it ’s causes, how it’s diagnosed, and treatment options. The CDC’s website informs American citizens about ADHD effectively by utilizing the rhetorical ap -
peals; ethos, logos, and pathos.
The most frequently used rhetorical appeal throughout the webpage was ethos. Ethos is the dependability and trustworthiness that a speaker possesses, in this case, the CDC. Throughout
the site, the CDC is a very well known government organization that has a history of good ethics.
To further prove their credibility, they included many links to their sources and provide a number
of data to support their information. According to the National Parent Survey taken in 2003 and 2016, the number of children that have been diagnosed with ADHD increased from 4.4 million to 6.1 million (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). This information was fol -
lowed by a bar-graph that not only visually showed the data, but it made the webpage more cred -
ible and reliable. Thanks to the CDC ’s dependable reputation, the citizens of the United States that ADHD is an issue that is escalating at an alarming rate. Logos is another rhetorical appeal that was also used frequently throughout the CDC ’s ADHD webpage. Logos, also referred to as logic, is any sort of proof that can be used to make an argument. The “proof” that would be considered a logical appeal would be data, statistics, case studies, references, facts, or figures. The CDC does an amazing job at providing countless forms of logistical evidence to its readers. The Journal of Affective Disorders does an amazing
