The role of working memory in the occurrence of involuntary thoughts about the past and future: An experimental investigation.

-back task during the vigilance task. The presentation of working memory task items and incidental cue words in the vigilance task was also manipulated (simultaneous vs. sequential). Study 2 further manipulated the type of working memory load by using either verbal or visuospatial N-back task while using a sequential presentation of working memory task items and cue words. In both studies, to further examine levels of incidental cue noticing, participants also completed an unexpected cue-recognition task after completing the vigilance task. Cognitive load reduced cue recognition, which positively predicted IAMs frequency. While working memory type had no robust effect, IFTs tended to be more frequent under visuospatial load. Overall, working memory load, cue noticing, and participants' strategic behaviors jointly shaped IAMs and IFTs retrieval. The results provide new insights about the underlying mechanisms of IAMs and IFTs in terms of their dependency on cognitive load and may open interesting avenues for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).