Yang, F.（楊帆）, & Oshio, A.（小塩真司） (2025).
Using attachment theory to conceptualize and measure the experiences in human-AI relationships.
人とAIの関係性における体験を愛着理論で概念化・測定する試み
Current Psychology.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07917-6
Artificial intelligence (AI) is growing “stronger and wiser,” leading to increasingly frequent and varied human-AI interactions. This trend is expected to continue. Existing research has primarily focused on trust and companionship in human-AI relationships, but little is known about whether attachment-related functions and experiences could also be applied to this relationship. In two pilot studies and one formal study, the current project first explored using attachment theory to examine human-AI relationships. Initially, we hypothesized that interactions with generative AI mimic attachment-related functions, which we tested in Pilot Study 1. Subsequently, we posited that experiences in human-AI relationships could be conceptualized via two attachment dimensions, attachment anxiety and avoidance, which are similar to traditional interpersonal dynamics. To this end, in Pilot Study 2, a self-report scale, the Experiences in Human-AI Relationships Scale, was developed. Further, we tested its reliability and validity in a formal study. Overall, the findings suggest that attachment theory significantly contributes to understanding the dynamics of human-AI interactions. Specifically, attachment anxiety toward AI is characterized by a significant need for emotional reassurance from AI and a fear of receiving inadequate responses. Conversely, attachment avoidance involves discomfort with closeness and a preference for maintaining emotional distance from AI. This implies the potential existence of shared structures underlying the experiences generated from interactions, including those with other humans, pets, or AI. These patterns reveal similarities with human and pet relationships, suggesting common structural foundations. Future research should examine how these attachment styles function across different relational contexts.
AIは本当に愛着対象になり得るのか。本研究では、中国の若者を対象に調査を行い、約半数がAIを「近接追求」「安全避難所」「安全基地」として利用していることが示唆された。 人とAIの関係は一方向的であり、物理的接触も存在しないが、その心理的体験は愛着理論によって説明可能であり、新たな対人理解の枠組みとなり得る。 本研究は、AIへの「真の愛着」が成立していると主張するものではない。むしろ、AIとのやり取りにおいて生じる体験が、構造的に愛着理論によって捉えうることを示した。「人間らしいAI」の追求と並行して、AIがもつ感情操作の力が引き起こす社会的影響にも真剣に向き合う必要がある。