Two experiments using novel complex working memory spantasks were performed, both requiring the participants toremember a span of letters whilst being distracted by theprocessing of words. Word processing could either be self-referential (SRP) or not. In the first experiment recallperformance was compared between SRP and non-SRPconditions using the same words. In the second experiment,we compared SRP and non-SRP in two tasks equalized insemantic processing but using different words. In bothexperiments recall performance was significantly lower afterSRP compared to non-SRP, indicating that SRP has adisruptive effect on the recall task. A cognitive modelimplemented in PRIMs, using goal competition during SRP,interfering with rehearsal of letters, could account for theobserved experimental results. If SRP interferes withsubsequent tasks in this manner it should also interfere withtasks other than recall, such as SRP occurring in daily life.