La teoría Sociobiológica puede servir como un heurístico util para analizar la conducta prosocial humana. El presente artículo revisa investigaciones recientes, que sugieren la existencia en humanos de disposiciones altruistas basadas en el mecanismo de Selección Natural por parentesco o cooperación diferencial hacia los parientes. Se tratan también la variabilidad transcultural y las diferencias individuales en la expresión de tendencias altruistas. Una segunda disposición hacia la ayuda de base genética denominada altruismo recíproco, puede inclinar a las personas a invertir ayuda en aquéllos de los que se tiene una perspectiva de interacción futura. También se discute la evidencia que sugiere que la similaridad genética puede jugar algún papel en la formación de la amistad y en la expresión de cooperación hacia los conocidos. Se dedica atención particular a los mecanismos emocionales y cognitivos que podrían haber evolucionado para facilitar la conducta de ayuda hacia extraños, como la mera exposición, aflicción empática, buen humor, culpa y atribuciones de méritos. Se considera la posibilidad de que el parasitismo social o requerimientos de ayuda ilegítimos pueden haber producido presiones de selección para la capacidad de autolimitar respuestas altruistas. Se proponen sugerencias para posteriores investigaciones desde una aproximación multidimensional al altruismo humano, que implican mecanismos causales próximos y últimos, y para potenciar la cooperación humana adicional.
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