A large literature suggests that cognition inclose relationships influences interpersonal processesand outcomes. The present study sought to extend thisarea of inquiry by investigating whether valenced cognitions about a target-child influencesmother's mood, whether preexisting trait conceptions ofthe child moderates this effect, and whethercognition-induced mood alters subsequent traitconceptions of the target. Eightymothers listed and wroteabout positive or negative characteristics of theirchildren. Regardless of child-trait conceptions,activating positive information elevated mothers' mood. In contrast, activating negative informationlowered mood only in mothers with relatively negativechild-trait conceptions. Mood induced by the cognitiveactivation procedure also independently contributed to postactivation child-trait conceptions ofthe child. Results suggest that negative traitconceptions of a child may create a cognitive contextthat makes parents vulnerable to negative affectivereactions to child behavior.