I have over 30 years of experience in designing, conducting, and evaluating scientific studies. As the world of funding and societal issues has changed, I have switched from high-budget studies in areas that include electrophysiology, neurobiology, and representation of information in auditory systems to "low"-budget research in human human psychology, focusing on the mental health consequences of interaction with poorly-designed automated/AI systems. Our findings could be of use to any entity that designs or deploys automated systems such as chatbots or online forms, as well as individuals and mental health practitioners who are looking for root causes of stress, frustration, and other maladaptive states.