HOSTAGE-TAKING THREATENS THE SECURITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PROCESSES OF SOCIETY, SPURS SIMILAR OR VARIANT CRIMES, AND PRODUCES VOLATILE RESPONSES IN THE COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY. IN MOST INSTANCES, THE AGENCIES AND PERSONNEL IN CHARGE OF HANDLING HOSTAGE SITUATIONS HAVE LITTLE OR NO ACCESS TO SPECIFIC, EMPIRICALLY-DETERMINED POLICY GUIDANCE AND STANDARD OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES TO GUIDE HOSTAGE RESCUE. LOW-COST, PROBLEM-DIRECTED HOSTAGE STUDIES CAN PRODUCE MANY USEFUL PRODUCTS, SUCH AS POLICY AND OPERATIONS MANUALS AND TRAINING GAMES. THE TECHNIQUES OF ANALYSIS WOULD INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, HISTORICAL CASE ANALYSES, STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS, PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS, GAMING AND SIMULATION, AND GAME THEORY. AN EXAMPLE OF GAME THEORY IS FOUND IN THE APPENDIX ON HOSTAGE GAMES; IT FOCUSES ON POLITICAL HOSTAGE GAMES, SKYJACKING, COMMON KIDNAPPING, AND OTHER HOSTAGE GAMES (I.E., THOSE INVOLVING PRISONERS OF WAR). IN THIS TECHNICAL TREATMENT OF GAME THEORY, A HOSTAGE GAME IS REFERRED TO AS A TWO-PERSON NONZERO SUM GAME WITH COMMUNICATION. MATRIXES ARE USED AND STRATEGIES PLOTTED TO DETERMINE THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE HOSTAGE SITUATION. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH IN THIS AREA ARE INCLUDED. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY, SOME FOOTNOTES, AND DATA ON GAME THEORY ANALYSIS ARE PROVIDED. (WJR)