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Defaming Rover: Error-Based Latent Rhetoric in the Medical Literature on Dog Bites
Arnold Arluke1, Donald Cleary2, Gary Patronek3
1a Department of Sociology , Northeastern University , Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract:
This article examines the accuracy and rhetoric of reports by human health care professionals concerning dog bite injuries published in the peer-reviewed medical literature, with respect to nonclinical issues, such as dog behavior. A qualitative content analysis examined 156 publications between 1966 and 2015 identified by terms such as "dog bite" or "dangerous dogs." The analysis revealed misinformation about human-canine interactions, the significance of breed and breed characteristics, and the frequency of dog bite-related injuries. Misinformation included clear-cut factual errors, misinterpretations, omissions, emotionally loaded language, and exaggerations based on misunderstood or inaccurate statistics or reliance on the interpretation by third parties of other authors' meaning. These errors clustered within one or more rhetorical devices including generalization, catastrophization, demonization, and negative differentiation. By constructing the issue as a social problem, these distortions and errors, and the rhetorical devices supporting them, mischaracterize dogs and overstate the actual risk of dog bites.
Insights
Medical literature often misrepresents dog bite injuries, overstating risks and mischaracterizing canine behavior. This analysis found factual errors and rhetorical devices that distort the reality of human-canine interactions.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Medical Communication
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Peer-reviewed medical literature is a key source of information on dog bite injuries.
- Previous research has not extensively analyzed the accuracy and rhetoric of these reports regarding nonclinical aspects like dog behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the accuracy and rhetorical strategies in medical literature concerning dog bite injuries.
- To identify misinformation and its patterns in reporting on human-canine interactions and dog bite risks.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative content analysis of 156 publications from 1966-2015.
- Searched using terms such as "dog bite" and "dangerous dogs."
- Focused on nonclinical issues, including dog behavior and breed characteristics.
Main Results:
- Identified significant misinformation regarding human-canine interactions, breed significance, and injury frequency.
- Misinformation included factual errors, misinterpretations, omissions, emotional language, and exaggerations.
- Rhetorical devices like generalization, catastrophization, and demonization were prevalent.
Conclusions:
- Medical literature frequently mischaracterizes dogs and overstates dog bite risks.
- Rhetorical distortions contribute to a social problem construction, inaccurately portraying canine behavior and bite incidents.
- There is a need for more accurate reporting on dog bite injuries and human-canine interactions.
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