The 20 abusing mothers and the 20 non-abusing mothers were volunteers receiving Aid to Dependent Children under the Protective Services Unit of the Ingham County (Mich.) Department of Social Services. Both the study group and control group were administered the Family Concept Inventory, a measure of self-esteem (California Test of Personality), selected items from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) reflecting depression/apathy and resentment/aggression, measures of a reward and punishment oriented disciplinary stance, a series of seven Eriksonian developmental conflict scales, and selected stimuli from the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed highly significant differences between the groups on the personality measures. Abusive mothers showed lower self-esteem, lower family concept, lower frustrated independence, and greater depression and apathy; they also scored lower on measures of the first six Eriksonian developmental stages. Abusive mothers scored higher on MMPI and TAT measures of aggression. No difference in attitudes toward discipline was found. Discriminant analysis using these data and actuarial data rendered 97.5 percent correct differentiation between the groups. Results suggested that the abusive family is less affectionate, more conlfict ridden, and less supportive than the non-abusive family and that abusive mothers have a lower sense of self worth while presenting a strong tendency to be apathetic and depressed. Findings also suggested that abusive mothers show maladjustment through the first six stages of the mother's personality development. Twenty references are listed. (Author abstract modified)