Autobiographical and future-related thoughts recorded during laboratory vigilance task with working memory load manipulation

The dataset provided in this article comprises frequencies of task-related thoughts, task-unrelated thoughts, involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs), and involuntary future thoughts (IFTs) reported by adult participants during the performance of a laboratory vigilance task. Participants completed the vigilance task with incidental cue-words intended to trigger IAMs and IFTs, along with random thought-probes to measure their frequency. Study 1 involved manipulation of the level of working memory load (none, low, high) while participants performed a letter version of the N-back task concurrently with the vigilance task. Additionally, the presentation of working memory task-stimuli and incidental cue-words in the vigilance task was manipulated (simultaneous vs. sequential). In Study 2, the type of working memory load was further manipulated using either verbal or visuo-spatial N-back tasks, while maintaining a sequential presentation of working memory task stimuli and cue-words. In both studies, incidental cue-noticing levels were further examined through an unexpected cue-recognition task administered after completion of the vigilance task. The dataset includes not only the frequencies of specific categories of thoughts but also data from numerous follow-up questions related to how participants perceive the performance of the task, such as their concentration level or perceived task difficulty. This dataset can potentially be reused for investigating many interesting relationships between the cognitively engaging computer task characteristics and various parameters of its performance, as well as conducting alternative or replicated analyses to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between working memory load and the experience of involuntary thoughts.