Normally tacky, pressure sensitive adhesive compositions comprise one or more polymers containing pendant functional groups attached to a polymer backbone and having the formula: ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 is a divalent organic radical at least 3 atoms in length, and X is organoacyl or cyano, and wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of(1) conjugated diolefin polymers comprising at least about 30 weight percent of one or more conjugated diene monomers having 4 to about 8 carbon atoms and 0 to about 70 weight percent of one or more alkenyl-substituted monoaromatic monomers,(2) olefin ester interpolymers comprising at least about 1 weight percent of a monoolefin monomer having up to about 4 carbon atoms and at least about 40 weight percent of an alkenyl or alkenol ester of a saturated carboxylic acid,(3) olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid ester polymers comprising at least about 40 weight percent polymerized olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid ester monomers,(4) alkenyl ether polymers comprising at least about 30 weight percent alkenyl ether monomer units, and(5) combinations thereof.Such polymers have improved cohesive strength with little or no detriment to adhesive tack or adhesion, and these improvements are realized without the necessity of incorporating crosslinking monomers such as N-methylolamides or other crosslinking agents. Pressure sensitive adhesive, water-based emulsions, hot melts and solutions containing such polymers and adhesive articles having at least a portion of one surface thereof coated with such adhesives are also provided.