What aspect of persuasion does pathos appeal to?

Pathos is a rhetorical strategy that specifically appeals to the audience's emotions and passions. When a speaker utilizes pathos, they aim to evoke feelings like joy, sadness, anger, or sympathy in order to persuade the audience. This emotional engagement can be incredibly powerful in persuasive speaking because it connects with listeners on a personal level, often making the message more relatable and memorable.

By appealing to emotions, speakers can motivate their audience to think or act in a certain way, making the argument more compelling. For example, a speaker discussing a social issue might share a poignant personal story to create empathy and spur the audience into action. In essence, pathos resonates with the audience's emotional experience, which can significantly strengthen the persuasive impact of the message.

The other options—logic and reasoning, credibility, and visual imagery—represent different persuasive techniques or aspects of argumentation that do not specifically center around emotional appeal.