This study investigates the neural basis of trustworthiness judgments in faces using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The research explores how the brain processes facial trustworthiness and how this relates to social cognition. Participants viewed faces and assessed either trustworthiness or age. The study found that trustworthiness judgments were associated with increased activity in the bilateral amygdala and right insula, while explicit trustworthiness judgments were linked to enhanced activity in the right superior temporal sulcus (STS). These findings suggest a functional dissociation between automatic engagement of the amygdala and intentional engagement of the STS in social judgment. The study also highlights that the amygdala is involved in processing untrustworthy faces, regardless of whether the judgment is explicit or implicit. This is consistent with previous findings that amygdala damage impairs social judgment, particularly for faces rated as untrustworthy. Additionally, the right insula showed increased activity in response to untrustworthy faces, possibly reflecting autonomic responses to emotional stimuli. The fusiform gyrus also showed differential activation based on trustworthiness, suggesting that it plays a role in processing facial expressions. The right STS was activated during explicit trustworthiness judgments, indicating its involvement in social cognition and theory of mind. The study also found that the orbitofrontal cortex showed task-dependent activation, responding more strongly to trustworthy faces during explicit judgments. The results support a neurobiological model of social cognition, highlighting the distinction between automatic and intentional brain responses during social judgment. The study provides evidence for a neural substrate of social cognition that aligns with a previously proposed model. The findings suggest that trustworthiness judgments involve a network of brain regions, including the amygdala, insula, fusiform gyrus, and STS, with differential modulation by implicit and explicit evaluations. The study also suggests that amygdala involvement in trustworthiness decisions may be modality-specific, and further research is needed to explore this. Overall, the study contributes to our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition and trustworthiness judgments.This study investigates the neural basis of trustworthiness judgments in faces using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The research explores how the brain processes facial trustworthiness and how this relates to social cognition. Participants viewed faces and assessed either trustworthiness or age. The study found that trustworthiness judgments were associated with increased activity in the bilateral amygdala and right insula, while explicit trustworthiness judgments were linked to enhanced activity in the right superior temporal sulcus (STS). These findings suggest a functional dissociation between automatic engagement of the amygdala and intentional engagement of the STS in social judgment. The study also highlights that the amygdala is involved in processing untrustworthy faces, regardless of whether the judgment is explicit or implicit. This is consistent with previous findings that amygdala damage impairs social judgment, particularly for faces rated as untrustworthy. Additionally, the right insula showed increased activity in response to untrustworthy faces, possibly reflecting autonomic responses to emotional stimuli. The fusiform gyrus also showed differential activation based on trustworthiness, suggesting that it plays a role in processing facial expressions. The right STS was activated during explicit trustworthiness judgments, indicating its involvement in social cognition and theory of mind. The study also found that the orbitofrontal cortex showed task-dependent activation, responding more strongly to trustworthy faces during explicit judgments. The results support a neurobiological model of social cognition, highlighting the distinction between automatic and intentional brain responses during social judgment. The study provides evidence for a neural substrate of social cognition that aligns with a previously proposed model. The findings suggest that trustworthiness judgments involve a network of brain regions, including the amygdala, insula, fusiform gyrus, and STS, with differential modulation by implicit and explicit evaluations. The study also suggests that amygdala involvement in trustworthiness decisions may be modality-specific, and further research is needed to explore this. Overall, the study contributes to our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition and trustworthiness judgments.