Availability of related long-term memory during and after attention focus in working memory

In a series of four experiments, we investigated the magnitude and pattern of indirect, semantically mediated priming that emanates from various working memory (WM) processes. When such priming effects are taken to reflect temporary increases in the availability of long-term memory (ALTM), results suggest a close link between the amount and type of attention-driven processing in WM and the resulting accessibility of semantically related memory structures. Patterns of priming were equivalent when attention demands were prior to, versus concurrent with, the priming measures, suggesting that ALTM processes either require no additional cognitive resources or require resources that are independent of those underlying effortful WM processes. The results are discussed with respect to emerging evidence for long-term semantic priming and models of WM that incorporate active but unattended information as part of a limited capacity cognitive workspace.