The first study used home observations of mother-child interactions and mothers' self-reports of adult contacts outside the home in the 24-hour period immediately preceding each home observation. Multidistressed mothers exhibited significantly higher levels of aversiveness toward their children on days in which they reported 80 percent of their adult contacts to have been aversive. The 'mand review' involved teaching multidistressed mothers traditional child management skills and increasing their awareness of the various stimuli in adult relationships that colored their aversive reactions to their children. Mand review did achieve significant reductions in mother and child aversive behaviors. Gains were maintained through weekly mand review sessions. 1 figure, 6 tables, and 26 references.