AN INTRODUCTION TO HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION FOCUSES ON THE BACKGROUNDS FOR VIOLENT ACTS, THE VARIETY OF HOSTAGE SITUATIONS, THE TIME FACTOR, NEGOTIATORS' TACTICS, AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE PERPETRATOR. HOSTAGE CASES DETAILED INCLUDE THE COTTON CASE IN SYRACUSE, N.Y., THE KIRITSIS INCIDENT IN INDIANAPOLIS, IND., THE HANAFI MUSLIM CASE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND THE PATTY HEARST CASE IN CALIFORNIA. EACH CASE STUDY INVOLVES A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PERPETRATORS' MOTIVES, POLICE TACTICS EMPLOYED, AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE MEDIA. THE HANAFI MUSLIM AND COTTON CASES DEMONSTRATE THE DANGERS OF MEDIA INFLUENCE, THE KIRITSIS INCIDENT ILLUSTRATES THE NEED FOR NEGOTIATORS' PATIENCE AND DELIBERATION BALANCED WITH APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF ACTION, AND THE HEARST CASE EMPHASIZES THE NEED FOR SOCIETY TO UNDERSTAND THE DESTRUCTIVE CRY OF ALIENATED GROUPS FOR RECOGNITION OF THEIR WORTH. ALSO OUTLINED ARE HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION PROCEDURES INVOLVING SAFETY OF ALL PARTIES, INFORMATION TO BE OBTAINED, NEGOTIATOR CHARACTERISTICS AND STYLES, NEGOTIATING STRATEGIES, CALMING AND PERSUADING THE PERPETRATOR, GATHERING INFORMATION, AND BUILDING RAPPORT. FOR THE POLICE TRAINER, STRUCTURED LEARNING TRAINING (SLT) IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD OF TEACHING NEGOTIATION SKILLS. THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF SLT--MODELING, ROLE PLAYING, SOCIAL REINFORCEMENT, AND TRANSFER TRAINING-- ARE INCORPORATED IN A STRUCTURED LEARNING MANUAL FOR POLICE TRAINERS, PROVIDING DETAILED GUIDELINES ON THE TRAINING OF NEGOTIATORS. APPENDIXES CONTAIN A DESCRIPTION OF A NEGOTIATOR SELECTION TEST AND A LIST OF RECOMMENDED READINGS. (WJR)