Persuasion and Recommendation Strategies in Medical Discourse: Psycholinguistic, Pragmatic and Communicative Aspects
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study examines persuasion and recommendation as significant cognitive-pragmatic strategies in medical discourse, focusing on their linguistic realization, communicative functions, and potential effects on doctor–patient interaction. Medical discourse represents a complex form of institutional communication in which linguistic choices are closely associated with professional authority, psychological factors, patients’ cognitive processes, and healthcare-related decision-making. Within this framework, persuasion and recommendation serve as important mechanisms through which medical professionals influence patients’ perceptions, attitudes, and treatment-related decisions. The study explores the lexical, syntactic, pragmatic, and discourse-level resources employed to implement these strategies in English-language medical communication. Particular attention is paid to modal expressions, directive speech acts, evaluative vocabulary, conditional constructions, evidential arguments, and expressions of professional advice. The analysis demonstrates that appropriately employed persuasive and recommendatory strategies can facilitate treatment adherence, strengthen interpersonal trust, reduce uncertainty, and promote patient participation in healthcare decisions. However, excessive persuasion, authoritative recommendations, and insufficient consideration of patients’ preferences may result in communicative pressure, reduced autonomy, misunderstanding, and distrust. The study therefore emphasizes the importance of balancing professional expertise with patient-centred communication.
Language: English
Subfield: Linguistics and Language
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225402469