Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Dr. Seokhyun Song and PhD candidate Hyunsang Yoo (Department of Sport Science; supervisor: Professor Dongwook Han) received the Outstanding Paper Award at the 2026 Winter Conference of the Korean Society of Sport Psychology for a study that quantitatively analyzed both visual search characteristics and motor-action characteristics according to badminton players' serve types.

This award selects the most outstanding research paper published in the journal of the Korean Society of Sport Psychology over the past year.

The awarded paper is 'A Study on Quiet Eye Characteristics in Badminton Singles and Doubles Situations According to Backhand Serve Technique.' The results showed that short serves had longer gaze fixation time (QE) than long serves, with the longest QE observed for short serves in doubles situations. This is interpreted as reflecting the characteristics of doubles short serves, which require a high degree of precision.

The study differs from previous research in that it identified serve performance strategies by analyzing visual search and motor actions simultaneously. The findings suggest that QE may be longer in task situations that require greater precision and fine control (such as short serves). Based on the association with motor actions, the study provided objective evidence that players' visual focus tends to increase in situations with higher performance demands.

In particular, the study was recognized for empirically explaining how visual search strategies vary according to task situations within the context of motor performance, thereby advancing the applicability of research on visual search strategies.

Meanwhile, Professor Dongwook Han's research team at JBNU has once again demonstrated outstanding research capabilities by winning the Korean Society of Sport Psychology Outstanding Paper Award for the second consecutive year, following 2025.