Trust is a feeling that allows us to believe in and commit to other people, things and situations. It is an important part of many human relationships, from marriages and friendships to business partnerships and the operation of governments. While there are several theories of trust, research indicates that it involves a complex set of cognitive and neural processes.

The concept of trust has received much attention from researchers in various disciplines. For example, psychologists have studied how it relates to feelings of confidence and security. Others have proposed that it involves a mental model of a person’s behavior. Still others argue that it is a combination of different elements, such as the evaluation of probabilities and an abstract sense of obligation.

One theory is that people make decisions about whether to trust another person based on their perceived probability of being helped or hurt. This is often referred to as the “trust lottery.” In this view, an individual chooses to trust someone when they have a greater perception of the strength of a beneficial event than the strength of a harmful event. This is similar to the way people make gambling decisions.

Another view is that the brain has a specific structure that supports the formation of trust. A person’s representation of self must be bound to a representation of the person they are trusting, and this is combined with a set of sensory representations including gender and visual appearance. This is all accomplished in parallel by billions of interconnected neurons. Combined, this produces the neural pattern that emerges as trust.

Some scientists have suggested that a biological component to trust is mediated by a person’s oxytocin concentration. Oxytocin, a hormone released by the pituitary gland, is involved in social bonding and other biological functions such as contraction of uterine muscles, lactation, and parenthood. Rose McDermott of Brown University has argued that this suggests that trust is a function of human universals, and that it may involve the same kind of biological processes that underlie other social behaviors such as trusting, caring, and parenting.

A trustee is a fiduciary who must uphold the grantor’s wishes and the terms of the trust. This includes making timely and accurate distributions to beneficiaries. Trustees may not withhold distributions from beneficiaries, unless the terms of the trust allow them to do so. If a beneficiary feels that a trustee has failed to fulfill his or her fiduciary duties, they can file a lawsuit against the trustee.

If you are considering a trust as part of your estate plan, talk to an attorney with experience creating trusts. This type of attorney can explain the benefits and limitations of a trust to you. They can also work with your tax and financial advisors to create a comprehensive plan that will meet your goals. If you are a high-net-worth individual, this can include reducing estate taxes. Alternatively, you can use a trust to preserve privacy or provide for an individual with a disability.