Permeability theory in a social environment: comment on Stamps (2013)

Stamps (2013) reported that the visual permeability of a boundary strongly influenced perceived enclosure, while boundary depth had almost no effect. Specifically, Stamps found that perceived enclosure demonstrates a highly negative correlation with distal permeability, a moderately negative correlation with proximate permeability, and a very low positive correlation with distal distance. The present comment suggests that environmental properties may affect physical perception, mental processes, and human behavior - not only in a physical but also in a social environment.