Final answer:
Substance dualism challenges psychology's status as a science by introducing the concept of an immaterial mind, which complicates systematic empiricism, raises questions beyond physical evidence, and potentially impacts the replicability and verifiability of psychological knowledge.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to consider the implications of substance dualism for psychology's status as a science, based on Keith Stanovich's three core characteristics of science. Substance dualism, a theory often associated with René Descartes, posits that the mind and body are distinct, non-identical entities that interact with each other. This perspective has significant implications for psychology, which as a science, seeks to explain behavior and mental processes systematically and empirically.
One of Stanovich's core characteristics is that science is systematic empiricism, which refers to structured observations designed to test hypotheses about the world. Substance dualism challenges this aspect by suggesting the existence of a nonmaterial mind that cannot be observed directly, making it difficult for psychologists to measure mental states in a systematic or empirical fashion.
Another characteristic is the empirical questions that can be answered by gathering evidence from the physical world. Substance dualism introduces a non-physical mind, complicating the idea that all psychological phenomena can be understood through physical evidence alone. If aspects of the mind exist outside the physical realm, then some psychological questions might be beyond the reach of science.
The last characteristic is publicly verifiable knowledge, meaning that scientific findings must be transparent and replicable. The substance dualist position suggests that personal, non-physical experiences of consciousness might not be publicly verifiable. This potentially undermines the ability of psychology to produce replicable and objective knowledge about the mind, challenging its status as a science.
In conclusion, substance dualism presents a challenge to psychology as a science because it proposes the existence of an immaterial mind that may not conform to the empirical and systematic nature of scientific inquiry as outlined by Stanovich.