Differences Between an Initialism and an Acronym

An initialism is an  abbreviation that consists of the first letter or letters of words in a phrase, such as EU (for European Union) and NFL (for National Football League).  Also called an alphabetism.   Initialisms are  usually shown in  capital letters, without spaces or periods between them.  Unlike acronyms, initialisms are not spoken as words; they are spoken letter by letter.   Examples and Observations ABC (American Broadcasting Company, Australian Broadcasting Corporation), ATM (Automatic Teller Machine), BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), CNN (Cable News Network), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), HTML  (HyperText Markup Language),  IBM (International Business Machines Corporation), NBC (National Broadcasting Company)Some names that began as initialisms have evolved into brands independent of their original meanings. For example, CBS, the American radio and television network, was created in 1928 as the Columbia Broadcasting System. In 1974, the name of the company was legally changed to CBS, Inc., and in the late 1990s, it became CBS Corporation.Similarly, the letters in the names SAT and ACT no longer represent anything. Originally known as the Scholastic Achievement Test, the SAT became an Aptitude Test in 1941 and an Assessment Test in 1990. Finally, in 1994, the name was officially changed to SAT (or, in full, SAT Reasoning Test) , with the letters signifying nothing. Two years later, American College Testing followed suit and changed the name of its test to ACT. Initialisms and Acronyms My favorite current acronym is the DUMP, a term universally used in Durham, New Hampshire to refer to a local supermarket with the unwittingly unfortunate name the Durham Market Place. Initialisms are  similar to acronyms in that they are composed of the first letters of a phrase, but unlike acronyms, they are pronounced as a series of letters. So most people in the US refer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the FBI...Other initialisms are PTA for Parent Teacher Association, PR for either public relations or personal record, and NCAA for National College Athletic Association.(Rochelle Lieber, Introducing Morphology. Cambridge University Press, 2010) [S]ometimes a letter in an initialism is formed not, as the term might imply, from an initial letter but rather from an initial sound (as the X in XML, for extensible markup language), or from the application of a number (W3C, for World Wide Web Consortium). Furthermore, an acronym and an initialism are occasionally combined (JPEG), and the line between initialism and acronym is not always clear (FAQ, which can be pronounced either as a word or as a series of letters).(The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed. The University of Chicago Press, 2010) CD-ROM CD-ROM is an interesting mix because it brings together an initialism (CD) and an acronym (ROM). The first part is sounded letter by letter, the second part is a whole word.(David Crystal, The Story of English in 100 Words. St. Martins Press, 2012) Usage The first time an acronym or initialism appears in a written work, write the complete term, followed by an abbreviated form in parentheses. Thereafter, you may use the acronym or initialism alone.(G. J. Alred, C. T. Brusaw, and W. E. Oliu, Handbook of Technical Writing, 6th ed. Bedford/St. Martins, 2000 AWOL In AWOL--All Wrong Old Laddiebuck, an animated film by Charles Bowers, a woman presents her calling card to a soldier and it reads Miss Awol. She then lures him away from camp without permission. The film is silent, of course, given the 1919 date, but the calling card indicates that AWOL is pronounced as a word, making it a true acronym and not just an initialism.(David Wilton and Ivan Brunetti, Word Myths. Oxford University Press, 2004) Pronunciation: i-NISH-i-liz-em EtymologyFrom the Latin, beginning

Decision-Making Models Essay - 959 Words

Decision-Making Models General assumptions create the foundation of a persons reasoning. Imperfections with a supposition can create the opportunity for a skewed perspective in a persons reasoning process (Paul Elder, 2002). The process of choosing one course of action over another is commonly known as decision making. Consciously or unconsciously, people make decisions on a daily basis founded on one or more of the various decision-making models (Sullivan, n.d.). This paper examines how I apply various decision-making models in the workplace to generate accurate workload estimations in my career. The Qualitative Choice Theory also known as analogous reasoning uses past experience to help an individual make decisions. A†¦show more content†¦I normally make use of the parametric model when estimating a large project. I look at one piece of the project and create an estimate of the level of effort needed to complete the piece, and multiply the estimate by the number of pieces that comprise the project. When I bid the creation of the initial website for the aforementioned client, I determined there would be only two Web pages requiring Active Server Pages (ASP) programming due to database interaction; the remaining 20 pages could be coded using static Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and JavaScript. Drawing on parametric model I estimated the time needed to code a single HTML page and multiplied that estimate by 20. I created individual time estimates for the 2 ASP pages due to the unique nature of the pages. The total estimate delivered was approximately 30 hours. As of late, my supervisor has encouraged me to begin using the PERT technique to provide a more accurate time estimate. The formula used to calculate the PERT is: ((realistic * 4) + pessimistic + optimistic) / 6. Using the 30-hour estimate issued to the aforementioned client and accounting for every situation that could create difficulties, I created a pessimistic estimate of 47 hours. Assuming flawless execution with no complications, I have created an optimistic estimate of 25 hours. The PERT formula calculates the estimated level of effort at 32 hours. The Monte CarloShow MoreRelatedDecision Making Models Of A Model Essay1551 Words   |  7 PagesDecision making models come in countless arrangements and complexities. In gathering examples of existing models, I understood the significance of personalizing a model to my own preferences and use. A tailored decision model creates an opportunity to provide a distinct structure that promises greater success in using it on a daily basis for myriad types of decisions, both small and large. The model I configured comprises six stages in the process. I chose to begin my model with the task of recognizingRead More Decision-Making Models Essay798 Words   |  4 PagesDecision-Making Models   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several decision-making models to choose from in any given situation. Some of these models available on the Internet are the Responsible Decision-Making Model, the Ethical Decision-Making Model, the Ethics Toolkit PLUS Model, the Vigilant Decision-Maker Process, and some basic ones as well. In general, all decision-making models are the processes we use to make well-thought out decisions. There are three major elements of all decision-making models. TheseRead More Decision-Making Models Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesDecision-Making Models Negotiations and decisions are a part of everyday business. In order to make a successful decision, it is necessary to understand how to make rational and sound decisions. Decisions that are rash, made on snap judgments, and past experiences can prove detrimental to a business. A deficit in basic thinking and decision making is felt at all levels of an organization (Gary, 1997). Decisions can have long term and short term impacts on organizations and their world in whichRead MoreThe Rational Decision Making Model1066 Words   |  5 Pageswe do the most. All of these things, both small and large require a process that is commonly referred to as the decision making process. Decisions make up every aspect of our daily lives that is remotely imaginable. One of the most common decision making model is called the, rational decision making model. The first step in the model is to construe the problem or the actual decision to be made. Then, you will identify the information needed for the process to go forth. After that, you will weighRead MoreRational Model Of Decision Making1287 Words   |  6 Pagesand will be understood by every employee. The first step within the rational model of decision making is to identify the problem or opportunity at hand. This can be anywhere from customer compliments to turnover of staff or mergers that can take place to hiring a new top executive. This stage is all about making improvements and diagnosing them in the proper way. The second step within the rational model of decision making it to think up alternative solutions. This can be either obvious or creativeRead MoreThe Organizational Model Decision Making1522 Words   |  7 Pages The Organizational Model decision-making process is another that this writer found most useful in this course. Its general characteristics make use of programmed decisions that are usually used well-structured patterns of search but use simple rules of thumb as well as analytical frameworks which are determined by the complexity of the decision to be made. Organizations often make decisions that are optimal to their local sphere, but may not be optimal in the larger totality and is constrainedRead MoreThe Ethical Decision Making Models1576 Words   |  7 PagesEthical Decision-Making Models Decision-making in the field of psychology refers to a cognitive process that results in a selection among multiple possible solutions in a situation (Colman, 2008). Decision-making is based on available information from the environment as well as intrinsic information and existing schemas (Rogerson, Gottlieb, Handelsman, Knapp Younggren, 2011). These internal schemas, along with knowledge and personal preferences, influence the decision-making process. EthicalRead More Decision Making Model Essay854 Words   |  4 PagesDecision Making Model Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Decision making models can be very effective in problem solving. Scheduling is a big problem at Direct HomeHealth Care and a solution needed to be found. Scheduling software which can be very expensive was the only conclusion that could be reached. With much thought and analysis a resolution was reached with critical thought and a decision making model from the Small Business Development Center. Decision making models can be very helpful in analyzingRead MoreClassical Model of Decision Making2120 Words   |  9 PagesBusiness and Management June, 2008 The Classical Model of Decision Making Has Been Accepted as not providing an Accurate Account of How People Typically Make Decisions Bin Li Foreign Languages Department, Guang Dong University of Finance Guangzhou, 510521, China E-mail: viclee_0221@163.com Abstract Decision making is an accepted part of everyday human life. People all make varying importance decisions every day, thus the idea that decision making can be a rather difficult action may seem so strangeRead MoreDecision-Making Model Analysis: 7-Step Decision-Making Model Essay1619 Words   |  7 PagesDecision-Making Model Analysis: 7-Step Decision-Making Process Decision making is defined as the cognitive process leading to the selection of a course of action among alternatives (Decision Making, 2006, para. 1). Decisions are made continually throughout our day. For the most part, our decision-making processes are either sub-conscious or made fairly quickly due to the nature of the decision before us. Most of us dont spend much time deciding what to have for lunch, what to wear, or what

Shutter Island Scene Reviews and Diagnosis Free Essays

Psychological disorder: Grandiose and Persecutory Delusional Disorder Movie title: Shutter Island Movie rating: 3. 5/5 Character name: Teddy Daniels (Aka. Andrew Laeddis) Actor’s name: Leonardo DiCaprio Andrew Laeddis’ wife went insane and drowned their children, so he murdered her. We will write a custom essay sample on Shutter Island Scene Reviews and Diagnosis or any similar topic only for you Order Now He feels guilty about neglecting to get his wife help, which could have saved their children, and guilty about killing her as well; the two of these add up heavily on his conscience, so much so that he creates an alternate personality (Teddy Daniels) to get away from the terrible reality that is his life. I will refer to him as Teddy throughout my character diagnosis. Scene one: Teddy experiences a nightmare about his wife. The fire symbolizes not only how she first tried to commit suicide, but also the death of his sanity. The nightmare begins with his wife scolding him about his drinking problem, which is a repressed regret that only comes out in his dreams where he is vulnerable. She says she never left, and she walks to the window where you can see the lake; the one where she drowned her children and was murdered (by Teddy) at. She tells him he needs to wake up, but she really means he needs to see reality, she says she’s not really there, and that he needs to face that. She says â€Å"Laeddis† is still there, which is who he was before he invented the Teddy persona to avoid feeling the guilt, since he would inevitably blame himself for their deaths. Scene two: Teddy has a flashback about his traumatic experience in Germany during World War II. He has post-traumatic stress disorder from his time spent there and his repressed memories span from killing guards to seeing thousands of innocent people turn to frozen corpses. He has guilt, shame and self-hatred induced psychosis from his involvement in the war. He sees his nurse (he replaces the image of his wife with the image of his nurse because it’s easier to handle) and his deceased daughter, she is a symbol of his guilt for neglecting his wife’s mental problems. If he had have done something about his wife, his children would not have died. Scene three: Again Teddy replaces his wife with his nurse to avoid further pain and she asks him to help her. He picks up his daughter and she once again is a symbol of guilt as she asks him why he didn’t save her. He said it was too late by the time he got there, meaning physically to the scene where his children were murdered as well as meaning that he was too late in getting help for his wife who was visibly losing touch with reality. Scene four: Teddy talks to his old friend, who he remembers, but he does not understand still that he was a patient at Shutter Island along with his friend. He does not remember beating up his friend, even when his friend says he looks so bad because of him. Teddy stays stuck in his other personality, which is a common trait of borderline personality disorder. When he is in one identity, he shows a complete amnesia for his other identity. He created a fictional life for himself, with fictional characters to go along with the story. He tells himself his wife died in a fire, when he really murdered her. He blames â€Å"Andrew Laeddis† (who is himself) for being the one who lit the match that killed his wife, which is a metaphor for him being at fault for her death, and the children’s deaths. He is in a constant search for Andrew Laeddis, saying he’s the secret patient at Shutter Island, and his imagined wife tells him to kill Andrew. He wants so badly to get rid of his past self, because he would rather live without feeling the guilt. His friend says he can’t deal with the truth and kill his old self at the same time, he makes the point that he’s fighting against himself. When his friend mentions his deceased wife, and repeats saying â€Å"let her go†, Teddy hallucinates that she is present in the room. His friend knows he’s seeing her, and is clearly distressed, he knows his delusions will be the death of him. He snaps out of his alternate personality for a moment and says that he can’t let her go. Knowing that Teddy was and still is technically a patient of Shutter Island, he warns that Teddy will never leave the island. How to cite Shutter Island Scene Reviews and Diagnosis, Papers