Schlossberg and Boltz described communication in hostage situations as either instrumental or expressive (in Madrigal, Bowman, & McClain, 2009). Vecchi, Van Hasselt, and Romano define a hostage situation as one where hostages are taken into captivity for "instrumental" reasons, meaning that one's needs cannot be met without the power of authorities (2005, p. 535). In contrast, when an individual takes hostages for "expressive" means, it is a non-hostage situation; the suspect may be highly emotional but they are not using their captive to leverage for authority (Vecchi, Van Hasselt, & Romano, 2005, p. 535). The distinguishing factor between a hostage situation and a non-hostage situation is the use of hostages to leverage for power (Vecchi, Van Hasselt, & Romano, 2005).
