Final answer:
Home security system commercials use the rhetorical strategy of pathos, appealing to the audience's fear for motivating them to listen. They play on the heightened perception of crime risk, suggesting that an alarm system provides security against the potential dangers of burglary.
Step-by-step explanation:
The commercials for home security systems that depict criminals fleeing at the sound of an alarm are primarily using pathos as a rhetorical strategy to motivate audiences. This method appeals directly to the audience's emotions, particularly fear and the desire for security. Given that Americans often overestimate the probability of dying in a criminal attack because such stories are vividly recalled, the invocation of fear is a powerful tool. Home security commercials leverage this by showing a scenario where the alarm deters criminals, playing on the uncertainty and perceived potential for extreme physical danger that a break-in represents.
It is the fear of criminal activity, heightened by media coverage and dramatized portrayals in crime series, that these commercials tap into. They suggest that without a home security system, one is at risk, thus exploiting the public perception of crime to persuade potential customers to purchase their products for peace of mind.