A student mapping pronunciation patterns in one region compiled these notes: • Researchers recorded 120 speakers from six towns and mapped both residence and frequent social contacts. • Pronunciation similarity correlated 0.71 with the density of speakers' shared social ties. • It correlated 0.28 with geographic proximity. • Close friends living in different towns often sounded more alike than nonfriends living in the same town. • Age and education were included as controls in the analysis. The student wants to support the claim that social networks predicted pronunciation more strongly than physical distance in this sample. Which choice best integrates the evidence?