The effect of oxygen or nitrogen containing functionality in model copolymers on the interfacial characteristics between the copolymers and metals was examined by adhesion strength and infrared spectroscopy. The adhesion strength with both copper and aluminum increased with increasing the vinyl pyridine (VP) content in poly (styrene-co-vinyl pyridine) copolymers (SVP). The adhesion strength between poly (styrene-co-acrylic acid) copolymers (SAA) and both metals increased at lower acrylic acid (AA) contents in the copolymers, but the adhesion strength remained almost unchanged at higher AA contents due to competition between interaction of free carboxylic acid with metal and self-association of acrylic acid units in the copolymer through dimerization of carboxylic acids. From the reflection-absorption infrared (RAIR) spectroscopy, it is concluded that the enhancement of adhesion strength by the incorporation of comonomers is caused by specific interaction between the copolymers and metals and orientation behavior of carbonyl groups in AA units and pyridine rings in VP units to the metal surfaces.