Final answer:
The fear of falling in a study would be the dependent variable as it is the outcome being measured in response to changes in the independent variable, such as exercise.
Step-by-step explanation:
The variable fear of falling in the study is best described as a dependent variable. In scientific research, an independent variable is the one that is manipulated or changed to observe its effect on the dependent variable, which is the outcome variable. For example, if researchers were studying the impact of exercise on fear of falling, the amount of exercise would be the independent variable, and the fear of falling would be the dependent variable. This is because fear of falling is what is being measured to see if it is affected by the change in exercise habits.