A knowledge of an individual's preferences is essential to create an effective reward or reinforcer program for individuals who have either a need to reduce maladaptive behaviors or to increase adaptive behaviors. The goal of the Missouri Automated Reinforcer Assessment (MARA) project is to develop an efficient yet thorough automated reinforcer assessment that would systematically assess an individual's preferences and provide an easily understood, written summary of the findings. The development of the MARA will require four phases: Phase 1 involves the collection of items to be used via an open-ended questionnaire; Phase 2 involves the development, programming, and testing of MARA; Phase 3 will be a retest; and Phase 4 involves the application of reinforcers for actual behavior programs. Data collected thus far from 14 adult subjects with brain trauma, chronic schizophrenia, or mental retardation indicate definite specific preferences for items and events. Most subjects preferred a smaller, immediate reinforcer to a larger, delayed one. Includes 12 references. (JDD)