Final answer:
The statement that focus of attention has been defined as an employee's cognitive orientation while at work is true. Attention is an aspect of cognitive psychology concerned with human thinking and conscious thought processes as they pertain to a task, and it has meaningful implications in work settings for employee performance and decision-making.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding the statement that the focus of attention has been defined as an employee's cognitive orientation while they are at work, this is true. Generally speaking, cognitive psychology studies human thinking, which includes processes such as attention. Attention can be described as the resource demanded by conscious thought, whereby tasks requiring significant attention draw increased energy demands on the brain. In a work setting, industrial psychology and organizational psychology look at these aspects as they pertain to hiring, employee relations, and maintaining an effective organizational culture.
Interactions between hormones, sensory information, and cognitive processing result in a state of the brain that focuses on handling new information – a process we define as attention. This cognitive focusing shifts due to various factors, including the immediate demands of a task at hand. High cognitive effort, such as making numerous decisions under pressure, can lead to increased error rates as shown by the study in an information security center. This is a direct example of how attention, and thereby focus of attention, plays a significant role in an employee's cognitive orientation at work.
In conclusion, the true essence of the focus of attention at work stems from cognitive psychology's analysis of how an employee's mind engages and processes work-related tasks, balancing various cognitive loads to maintain stimulation, which aids in job performance and decision-making processes.