The attachment behavioral system motivates people to seek proximity to a reliable source of care and protection when threatened or distressed. Attachment theory frames these bonds as biologically rooted in safety, comfort, and survival, beginning with child–caregiver relationships and extending across the lifespan. section 9.4
Applied to human–chatbot relationships, the system helps explain why distressed users may treat an AI companion as emotional support rather than merely as a tool. A 2022 study reported trust, intimacy, dependence, confiding, romantic identification, and role-playing among some users during the COVID-19 pandemic. section 9.4
Chatbots as attachment figures
Users may describe a chatbot as someone they can depend on, confide in, or seek comfort from; some participants identified it as a romantic partner. section 9.4
Figure 9.2 A simplified version of the attachment behavioral system [35]
A simplified diagram traces how perceived environmental threats activate proximity-seeking and how reliable caregiver support produces greater security. section 9.4
