The ability to trust others who have earned it—and repair it when it has been broken—is essential to emotional well-being and healthy relationships. Trust can also help workplaces, organizations and societies function more smoothly by promoting social harmony and laying the foundation for heightened productivity.

The key to fostering trust is creating an environment where it can thrive by encouraging open communication, respect for different perspectives and by rewarding behaviors that demonstrate commitment to integrity. This is true whether building trust between individuals, within a family or between an organization and its customers.

There are many factors that influence trustworthiness, including personality traits, interpersonal skills and behaviors, organizational culture, and external environmental factors. Research analyzing the effectiveness of various interventions to improve trust has generally focused on human-to-human communication, and trustor characteristics such as follow-through, honesty and transparency, competence, integrity and emotions (as demonstrated by non-verbal cues). Sociological theories of trust have argued that it is an aspect of social reality and that people’s perceptions of what they are doing and how they are treated are crucial to trustworthiness.

Despite the complexities of understanding the nuances of trust, there are a few key points that can be gleaned from the available scientific literature. First, most studies of trust have used subjective measures of individual’s self-reports on their level of trust in a particular person or situation. While these data can provide valuable insight, they do not correlate directly with observable behavior or actual trustworthiness, which is why it is important to complement subjective scales with objective behavioral measurement tools.

The scientific literature has analyzed the effect of a variety of factors on trust, and some have suggested that it is related to biological mechanisms such as the oxytocin hormone (which is involved in bonding, social interaction, contraction of the uterus muscles during childbirth and breastfeeding). However, Rose McDermott, Professor of Psychology at Brown University, cautions that this may be overstating the case. She argues that while the biological mechanisms that underlie trust may involve oxytocin concentrations, they are likely the result of “human universals” and more complex psychological processes, such as social bonding and empathy.

One of the most critical steps in setting up a trust is selecting a trustee. While you can choose a friend or family member to manage your trust, hiring a professional trustee may be more beneficial in the long run. For example, a professional trustee can explain the drafting options, possible tax consequences and other issues that you may not be aware of.

Once you’ve selected a trustee, it’s time to meet with a lawyer to draft your trust document. It’s a good idea to interview potential lawyers to make sure they have the experience and expertise you need. This will save you money and time in the long run. Moreover, it will ensure that your wishes are carried out in accordance with the law. Also, by discussing your options with an attorney early on, you can avoid costly legal squabbles down the road.