A Comparative Study on Research Trends in Peak Performance Psychology Between Korean and International Literature Using Topic Modeling

This study aimed to compare and analyze Korean and international research trends in peak performance psychology using text mining methods (TF-IDF analysis and LDA topic modeling). The data consisted of 3,012 articles (959 Korean and 2,053 international) published between 2000 and 2025. Results of TF-IDF analysis indicated that Korean research initially focused heavily on psychological skills training, self-management, and motivational factors for performance enhancement. However, recent trends revealed an increasing emphasis on athletes’ holistic development, life skills, career transitions, and psychological counseling. Internationally, while traditional themes such as motivation and competitive anxiety remained significant, there was a marked rise in research on athlete mental health, mindfulness practices, dual-career management, and social identity. The LDA topic modeling further supported these findings by structurally identifying thematic shifts in both research contexts. Overall, both Korean and international research demonstrate a paradigm shift from a narrow performance-centered approach to a broader, holistic perspective emphasizing athlete well-being and mental health. This comparative analysis provides meaningful implications for setting future research directions and developing athlete support systems.