Investigated the performance of 20 high- and 20 low-risk mothers for child physical abuse on cognitive measures in a cry (crying infant) and no-cry condition. The degree to which observed risk group differences in cognitive abilities were due to group differences in depression and/or anxiety was explored. All mothers completed neuropsychological measures of conceptual ability, cognitive flexibility, ability to adjust responses, verbal fluency, attention, and susceptibility of interference, and measures of intellectual functioning, depression, and anxiety. Results show that although initial analyses indicated expected risk group differences on most of the neuropsychological measures, a second set of analyses, that controlled for group differences in IQ, revealed risk group differences only on measures of conceptual ability, cognitive flexibility, and problem-solving skills. In a third set of analyses that controlled for group differences in IQ, depression, and anxiety, no risk group differences on any of the neuropsychological measures were found. Findings indicate that clinically observed cognitive deficits in high-risk and abusive mothers may be associated with lower levels of intellectual ability and with higher levels of depression and anxiety.