Ethos Prototypes: The Intersection of Rhetoric, Cognition, and Communicating Health Policy Internationally

Abstract

Effective health and medical policy implementation in international contexts is a complex process. Success often reflects effective communication practices. Credibility is often a key to achieving such objectives. Cultures, however, can have differing credibility expectations that can affect these communication and policy implementation processes. Individuals working in such contexts can benefit from mechanisms that can facilitate credible communication in health and medical policy contexts. This entry overviews one such mechanism, that of ethos prototypes.

ARCO Mapping the Cognitive Dynamics of Communication Expectations: An Approach to Designing Usable Content Based on Audience Expectations

“…Additionally, some researchers have noted how conditioned perceptions influence the assumptions of what genres are and how they are used (Berkenkotter & Huckin, 1995;Spinuzzi, 2004;Virtanen, 2011). More recently, individuals have explored connections between genres and cognition in health communication contexts (Liu & Yang, 2021;Williams-Piehota et al, 2003) and in international and intercultural exchanges (Barber & Badre, 1998;St.Amant, 2019).…”

“…These processes generally occur in a particular sequence. As a result, an issue with one part of the sequence affects how (or if) the brain can engage in the next process in the sequence (Eyal, 2014;Lindstrom, 2010;St.Amant, 2019). The ARCO method helps identify the mental models and the associated subconscious dynamics driving these processes.…”

“…The ARCO method helps identify the mental models and the associated subconscious dynamics driving these processes. ARCO stands for actualization, recognition, categorization, and operationalization -four activities the mind subconsciously performs when humans interact with content, objects, or other persons (St.Amant, 2019). The ARCO method applies cognitive concepts to examine the process an audience's mind performs when individuals use something.…”

“…These processes, however, affect the ease with which audiences understand and use content across various media (St.Amant, 2022;UXness, 2018). The ARCO method involves studying each Journal of Technical Writing and Communication 54(2) process to determine how mental models affect the way(s) audiences use something (St.Amant, 2019, 2022. Foundational to this mapping is the realization that the content creator's assumptions cannot be projected onto an audience when conveying information to that audience (Meek, 2013;Norman, 2002;Tyrkiel, 2021).…”

“…Content creators can then use the resulting information to develop content (e.g., text, visuals, etc.) that better meets the audience's usability expectations (St.Amant, 2019). Mapping such ARCO dynamics works as follows:…”