THE TYPE OF HARDWARE MOST FREQUENTLY MENTIONED IS AN INCAPACITATING GAS OR DRUG. HOWEVER SUCH AN AGENT MUST BE CAPABLE OF INSTANTANEOUS ACTION, OR UNDETECTABLE IF NOT INSTANTANEOUS, MUST BE NONLETHAL AND WITHOUT LONG-TERM SIDE-EFFECTS, MUST HAVE AN AVAILABLE MODE OF DELIVERY, REQUIRES THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEVICES TO PROTECT THE CONTROL FORCE FROM ITS EFFECTS, AND SHOULD BE NONPYROTECHNIC AND ALLOW FOR EASY DECONTAMINATION. UNFORTUNATELY, SUCH AN AGENT DOES NOT YET EXIST AND THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF AN IMMEDIATE BREAKTHROUGH IN THIS AREA. SOFTWARE IS MOST OFTEN MODELED AFTER CONFRONTATION MANAGEMENT SUCH AS THAT USED IN THE HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION APPROACH DEVELOPED BY THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS MODEL RELIES ON AN UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND MOTIVATIONS TO DETERMINE TACTICS. IT TRADES TIME FOR THE SAFETY OF THE HOSTAGES. TIME ALLOWS THE CONTROL FORCE TO GAIN INTELLIGENCE AND ALLOWS THE HOSTAGE-TAKER TO MAKE MISTAKES OR BECOME EXHAUSTED. ONE PHENOMENON WHICH REQUIRES FURTHER ELUCIDATION IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSFERENCES AND COUNTERTRANSFERENCES BETWEEN THE HOSTAGE-TAKER AND THE HOSTAGES. IN A NUMBER OF HOSTAGE SITUATIONS A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPS BETWEEN THE HOSTAGES AND HOSTAGE-TAKER AND PREVENTS THE HOSTAGE-TAKER FROM KILLING. COUNTERTRANSFERENCE (A NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP) WAS FOUND TO HAVE OPERATED IN THE CASE OF THE MOLUCCAN TERRORISTS WHO KILLED ONE HOSTAGE BUT DEVELOPED PSITIVE RELATIONS WITH THE OTHERS AND EVENTUALLY SURRENDERED. IN RELATIONSHIP TO TRANSFERENCE, RESEARCH ON WHEN THE USE OF FORCE IN HOSTAGE SITUATIONS IS JUSTIFIED OR NOT JUSTIFIED COULD AID IN DETERMINING THE BEST TACTIC FOR SAVING HOSTAGES' LIVES EVEN AFTER ONE HOSTAGE HAS BEEN KILLED. THE ASSUMPTION OF MOST CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT AN INMATE IS MORE LIKELY TO KILL HIS HOSTAGES OUTSIDE THE CONFINES OF THE INSTITUTION THAN IF KEPT ISOLATED WITHIN THE INSTITUTION ALSO REQUIRES EXAMINATION. FINALLY, RESEARCH INTO NEGOTIATOR-SEX EFFECTS ON THE SUCCESS OF HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS IS NEEDED. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WOMEN MAY HAVE SUPERIOR EMPATHIC ABILITIES AND JUDGEMENT AND BE ABLE TO BETTER DEAL WITH CRISIS SITUATIONS THAN MEN AND THAT ACTIONS OF A WOMAN ARE MUCH LESS THREATENING TO A MALE OFFENDER. IN THE LIEU OF ADEQUATE HARDWARE THE DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SOFTWARE IS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS IN HOSTAGE SITUATIONS. NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)