The objective of the present study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of observers’ subjective impressions of family behavior. Independent observers who recorded family interactions of 70 families referred for child management difficulties using a complex coding system also completed a 25-item Observer Impressions inventory after each observation session. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on the inventory scores, and four clusters of adequate internal consistency emerge: hostility, disorganization, child aggression, and parental reactivity. Cluster scores were moderately correlated with observed deviant behavior rates obtained from the complex coding system. Subjective impressions were also reasonably good predictors of observed deviant behavior and mother’s ratings of improvement at discharge. The addition of subjective impressions to recorded behavior rates during baseline yielded a maore accurate prediction of child deviance at discharge than could be obtained from either alone. Finally, three of the four inventory scales reliably discriminated clinic-referred families from their nonreferred counterparts. The satisfactory psychometric performance of the inventory suggests that it would be a useful and cost-effective supplement to naturalistic observation procedures.