WRITTEN BY AN ITALIAN COLLEGE PROFESSOR AND A PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT, BOTH OF WHOM WERE PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN THE DRAMA OF AN ACTUAL KIDNAPPING CASE AS RELATIVES OF THE VICTIM, THIS PAPER FORMULATES A WORKING HYPOTHESIS OF THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS. AIMED AT SECURING THE PRISONER'S RELEASE, IT ANALYZES THE TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS PROCESS BETWEEN THE VICTIM'S FAMILY AND THE KIDNAPPERS. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC THEORIES OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS AND PRAGMATIC ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION ARE INCORPORATED INTO A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TWO SETS OF ELEMENTS, I.E., THE VICTIM'S FAMILY AND THE KIDNAPPERS. THE NEGOTIATIONS OVER RANSOM ARE LIKENED TO A GAME OF CHESS, WITH THE MOVES OF BOTH PARTNERS PROMPTED BY UNTESTED BELIEFS REGARDING (1) THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF RANSOM THE VICTIM'S FAMILY IS WILLING AND/OR ABLE TO PAY, AND (2) THE MINIMUM AMOUNT THE KIDNAPPERS WILL ACCEPT. BOTH PLAYERS ARE ENGAGED IN A RACE AGAINST TIME, ALTHOUGH THE KIDNAPPERS ARE NOT WILLING TO ADMIT IT. WHEN THE KIDNAPPERS' REAL (AS DISTINGUISHED FROM PRETENDED) EXPECTATIONS AND THE VICTIM'S RELATIVES' FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES MEET AT A CERTAIN POINT, THE RANSOM AMOUNT IS AGREED UPON, AND THE QUESTION IS SUCCESSFULLY SOLVED. ASSUMING THAT THE KIDNAPPERS ARE DEALING FROM A RATIONAL BASIS, THE PRISONER IS THEREUPON RELEASED. PSYCHOLOGICAL INSIGHTS, PSYCHIATRIC THEORIES, GAME THEORIES, AND THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION, ARE ALL USED IN THIS THEORETICAL CONSTRUCT OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN KIDNAP VICTIM'S FAMILY AND KIDNAPPERS. A BLOW-BY-BLOW RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO PARTNERS IN THE GAME IS ALSO INCLUDED, REFLECTING THE SYMMETRIC CONFIGURATION AND QUASI-RITUALISTIC NATURE OF THIS TYPE OF INTERACTION. --IN ITALIAN.