Genre Analysis Matrix

Part One
Write down the two genres you have chosen (include titles, who or where they come from, and
what genres they are), and answer the questions that follow:
Genre 1:
MENTAL DISORDERS AND CRIME: THE CONNECTION IS REAL, Crime times.org,
Typography
Genre 2:

Antisocial Personality Disorder - The Low-Level Psychopath (Impulsive & Less Manipulative),
Youtube.com, Iconography
1. What is your topic of inquiry?

Psychological disorders and reasons linking to crime or criminal behavior.

Are mental illnesses and crime strongly linked?

2. Why did you select these two specific genres?

They both support my topic and give evidence on how some disorders can link to criminal
behavior.
They were very intriguing and presented strong conceptions.
3. How does each genre communicate about your topic of inquiry?
Genre 1 presents results of studies based on violence among the mentally ill and how it has
mounted.
Genre 2 specifically explains the crimes of a man with anti-social personality disorder, Tommy
Lynn Sells.

Part Two
Answer each of the following prompts for both genres as a way of organizing the content of your
Genre Analysis assignment.
Audience and Purpose
1. Who is/are the intended audience(s) and discourse community(ies)?

Genre 1: The audience could maybe be intended to sociologists, psychologists, detectives, police
officers, physicians, and people who may help and care for people with disorders.
Genre 2: This video could be intended for the same audience as genre 1 but could also be
entertaining for anyone.

2. What does the audience already know and what do they want to know?

Genre 1: They know that some criminal crime could be associated with mental illness. The
audience wants to know how or why mental illness could be linked to criminal behavior. The
readers also should want to know what type of psychological disorders are linked the most to
criminal behavior.

Genre 2: The audience knows the video is about a criminal with the disorder anti-social
personality disorder. The audience wants to find out why hes a criminal, what makes him feel
the way he does, and how his disorder linked to his vicious behaviors.
3. How much time will the audience spend with each genre?

Genre 1: The audience will spend about 10 to 20 minutes reading and analyzing this article.

Genre 2: The audience will spend approxemently 10 to 15 minutes examining this video.
4. What was the purpose (inform, persuade, and/or entertain)?

Genre 1: The purpose of this article was to inform but also persuade the audience with evidence
that mental disorders have a link to criminal behaviors in some people.

Genre 2:The purpose of the video was to both entertain and inform the audience as it displays the
obvious aspects of anti-social personality disorder linking to a criminals horrid killings.
5. How formal/informal is the language?

Genre 1: The text is very formal and proper and includes high vocabulary while expressing the
perception of the article.

Genre 2: The language is both formal and informal. The narrators language is proper and precise
and the interviewers languages were very straightforward and relaxed.
6. What specialized vocabulary is used?
Genre 1: The article include distinctive vocabulary explaining all the psychiatric problems.
Genre 2: The narrator used special vocabulary to explain the brains of psychopaths.
ex. Structural impairment in the part of the brain called amygdala
7. What other language features do you notice (text, type, font, color, visuals, etc)?
Genre 1: The article presents the text of important quotes in red.
Genre 2: There is a abc News logo on the side of video.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
1. How does this genre establish (or attempt to establish) its credibility with the audience?

Genre 1: The article explains the theory of disorders sometimes being linked to criminal activity
and the text does an excellent job on informing the audience that better care for people with
disorders would be beneficial.

Genre 2: The genres attempted to establish its credibility with the audience by showing the
shocking interviews and explaining the brain differences of psychopaths

2. What emotions is the genre attempting to evoke from its audience?

Genre 1: The article is trying to evoke emotions of shock, concern, care and interest.
Genre 2:The video is attempting to evoke shock, scare, resentment, sympathy, and interest.
3. What types of evidence are used to support claims? Is it valid/reliable? If there is no evidence,
what is used to help support the information presented?

Genre 1: The article presents different studies to present the theory of mental illnesses linking to
crimes. Showed evidence like Marc Eronen studying psychiatric evaluations of 693 murders,
resulting in the ratios of schizophrenia and anti-social personality disorder linking to some of the
murders. I think the evidence is valid because it displays studies which are resulting in most
criminal behavior with having psychological disorder in some type of background.

Genre 2: The video shows an interview with the criminal himself, confessing to how many
people hes killed. It is then followed by a witness interview, she had witnessed the murderer kill
her friend and was also almost killed herself but had survived. The evidence is clearly valid and
reliable as the murderer speaks for himself followed by more evidence.

Structure and Delivery

1. How is the information organized to covey its message?
Genre 1: The information is organized by answering a question, explaining a theory, giving
evidence to prove that theory, and concluding all the information.
Genre 2: The video was organized by explaining the criminals life, followed by an interview
with him, followed by another interview with a witness of evidence.
2. Are there limitations placed on the information because of the genre? Does it have more freed
to express what it needs to because of the genre?
Genre 1: More evidence couldve been expressed but was limited because of the genre.
Genre 2: The information was expressed well and clearly because of the genre. It gave great
purpose and there wasnt too much information nor too little.
3. How does the structure facilitate its purpose?

Genre 1: The structure facilitates its purpose because of the way the article was organized.
Explaining a theory, giving evidence, and concluding all the information.
Genre 2: The structure of the video proceeded all the information perfectly and helped intrigue
the audience more.