OBSERVERS VISITED THE FAMILIES IN THEIR HOMES AND RECORDED INTERACTIONS AMONG FAMILY MEMBERS AS THEY ENGAGED IN TASKS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE THE LIKELIHOOD OF PHYSICAL CONTACT, COMPETITIVE INTERACTION, AND VERBAL EXCHANGE. OBSERVATIONAL DATA WERE THEN CODED AND ANALYZED. OVERALL, ABUSIVE AND NEGLECTFUL FAMILIES HAD LOWER RATES OF INTERACTION THAN CONTROL FAMILIES AND WERE MUCH MORE LIKELY THAN CONTROLS TO EMPHASIZE THE NEGATIVE IN THEIR INTERACTIONS. MOTHERS IN ABUSIVE FAMILIES TENDED TO DIRECT CONTACTS TO OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AT A LOW RATE. WHEN THEY DID INTERACT, EITHER WITH THEIR SPOUSE OR THEIR CHILDREN, THESE MOTHERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO ACCENTUATE THE NEGATIVE THAN WERE THE HUSBANDS OR PARENTS IN CONTROL FAMILIES. MOTHERS IN ABUSIVE FAMILIES ALSO TENDED NOT TO INTERACT ON A PHYSICAL LEVEL. A SOMEWHAT SIMILAR PATTERN EMERGED FOR THE NEGLECTFUL FAMILIES. THESE PARENTS RESPONDED POSITIVELY AT A MUCH LOWER RATE THAN CONTROLS AND DIRECTED CONSIDERABLY MORE NEGATIVE RESPONSES TO THEIR CHILDREN. ONE POSSIBLE IMPLICATION OF THE FINDINGS IS THAT ADULTS IN ABUSING FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY MOTHERS, ARE UNSKILLED IN THE USE OF PHYSICAL CONTACTS AND ARE THEREFORE MORE LIKELY TO USE SUCH CONTACTS INAPPROPRIATELY OR EXCESSIVELY. PLANS TO ANALYZE THE QUALITY AS WELL AS THE AMOUNT OF INTERACTIONS REFLECTED IN THE OBSERVATIONAL DATA ARE NOTED. EARLY FINDINGS FROM SUCH ANALYSES SUGGEST THAT ABUSING AND NEGLECTFUL FAMILIES ARE LESS RECIPROCAL AND LESS EQUITABLE IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH ONE ANOTHER THAN ARE CONTROL FAMILIES. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)