The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is a federal agency under the department of Health and Human Services. The CDC wrote a web page on Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is “one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood” (CDC, 2016). This web page provides an extensive amount of information on everything a person needs to know on ADHD. The CDC’s article on ADHD uses the rhetorical triangle (ethos, pathos, and logos), has a specific target audience, and is set up in a way where people can easily understand the information that is provided.
“Aristotle taught that a speaker’s ability to persuade an audience is based on how well the speaker appeals to that audience in three different areas: logos, ethos, and pathos. Considered together, these appeals form what later rhetoricians have called the rhetorical triangle” (Lutzke & Henggeler, 2009). The CDC’s web page on Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder provides each of these to make their article strong. Logos (rational appeals) refers to the logic of the argument itself, for example, “ADHD is more common in males than females, and females with ADHD are more likely to have problems primarily with inattention.” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). The article provides plenty of facts categorized in subsections, which also appeals to logos. For example, there is a section in the CDC’s article that provides the different types of ADHD. Since the article was written by the CDC people will automatically see it as a credible source, which appeals to ethos. The Center for Disease Control gives the reader a sense of comfort and relief by stating the treatments there are for both children and adults who are diagnosed with ADHD. The article also provides pictures of groups of kids, making the article friendlier and less scary. Both of these appeal to pathos. Using all the elements of the rhetorical triangle, the CDC created the perfect webpage for a specific intended audience.
The article on Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder by the CDC is written for parents and family members with children diagnosed with ADHD. “The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that healthcare professionals ask parents, teachers, and other adults who care for the child about the child's behavior in different settings, like at home, school, or with peers” (CDC, 2016). The article uses non-medical vocabulary so that parents, family members, teachers, etc. can easily understand the information provided. The webpage provides pictures of groups of children, which gives the reader the sense of not being alone in this situation. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) wrote, “Parents, teachers, and family members also can give positive or negative feedback for certain behaviors and help establish clear rules, chore lists, and other structured routines to help a person control his or her behavior.” (2016), to give comfort to the reader and making them aware that they are not helpless. The article is also set up in a way where parents, teachers, family members, etc. of a child diagnosed with this disorder can easily comprehend.
The Center for Disease Control’s article provides an extensive amount of information. Among other things the CDC provides signs and symptoms, treatments, diagnosis, and even the different types of Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder. In order to not overwhelm the reader, the CDC organized the article using subsections. Each subsection had boldfaced words, bullet points, and links to provide the reader with more information. This allows the reader to look for specific information or even take notes on the disorder. The Center for Disease Control avoids using long confusing words by writing the article in a manner where anyone can comprehend. This is great because some people might be too shy to ask any questions, instead they can just read this webpage and have their questions answered without having to directly ask someone about it.