The lecture room for Sociology 314, Deviant Behavior, holds 48 students, arranged in chairs behind three tiers of tables, each row curved into a semi-circle facing the lectern. By 11:03 all but one of the seats had been filled. This is a popular class because it has interesting lectures, and students were rarely late. Professor Malik passed out sheets of paper to everyone and asked us to answer the questions.

I recognized it as a personality test. We used to fill these things out all the time in Intro Psych. This one was weird (“Would you prefer to give or to receive a massage?”), of course, but short. After some minutes, Professor Malik called for us to turn them in. He introduced a guest lecturer, Dr. Singleton, who would be lecturing on “Predicting Sexual Deviance: The Case of Submission.” He said she had co-authored a forthcoming article in AJS on this topic. While Professor Malik talked, Dr. Singleton worked over the personality tests using a calculator. He looked questioningly at her and she nodded and held up two fingers. Then she said “one, alphabetical” to him. He nodded. “Class, this lecture is being filmed for use by my colleagues.” He inclined his head toward the far back right of the room, where a student with a videocam was beginning to record, using a focused light. Then Professor Malik yielded the lectern to Dr. Singleton.

She thanked Professor Malik, then introduced the concept of submission as culturally-constructed sexual deviance. She emphasized that deviations – beyond mere experimental sex – were commonly  grounded in the personality. Dr. Singleton asked for Sara Goldman to stand up. Sara rose from her seat in the second row. “Please come down here, Sara.” Dr. Singleton requested the guy next to Sara to give her a copy of his lecture notes after class. “Sara has been chosen on the basis of her score on the personality test. Using a loglinear regression model developed by me and my colleague, we have identified Sara as the member of the class most likely to become a submissive.”

Dr. Singleton turned to Sara and smiled. Sara lowered her head and blushed. “Sara, have you ever participated in bondage, spanking, or submission games?” Sara shook her head, no. Dr. Singleton faced the class, paused, then used a stage whisper. “But I know she’s a submissive – even if no one else does, including Sara herself!” Sara went red. “I’m so sure that I’m willing to put it to a public test, here and now.” She nodded at the camera.

The class became very quiet. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I knew it was going to happen to Sara and that Dr. Singleton would be in charge. My heart was thumping away. She was so sure of herself, so competent. I admired her already.

Poor Sara looked like she was going to melt. She stared at the floor and twisted her fingers, almost like a little girl. She snuck a glance at the camera. She shifted her weight to the other leg. “Now stop fidgeting, Sara,” said Dr. Singleton, “and stand up straight.” Sara pulled herself erect. “You may look down, but you must obey what I say, do you understand?” Sara nodded. “Say ‘yes, Dr. Singleton’ if you understand.”

Sara said “Yes, Dr. Singleton.”

“Good. Now we will begin the experiment. Sara, unbutton your blouse.” A hiss of indrawn breaths covered the class. Sara began unbuttoning her blouse. “Class, you will notice that as Sara does this, she will become sexually aroused. Professor Malik, will you please show the class Sara’s nipples?” Professor Malik moved over to Sara and parted her blouse, baring Sara’s nipples. I could tell they were erect. My own nipples pushed against my shirt like a plug to an electric socket.

“Notice that Sara’s nipples stand out clearly. Sara step forward so that they can easily see. And turn to the left...now to the right; show the camera. Sara will now readily respond in a sexual manner to any stimulation of her nipples, even stimulation that would normally produce a painful reaction.” Dr. Singleton spoke clearly, clipping off each sentence. She looked over the class. “How many of you are convinced by the demonstration so far that Sara is a natural submissive? Raise your hands.” I raised my hand, and so did six other people.

“Professor Malik, please twist Sara’s nipple, hard enough to cause moderate pain.” Professor Malik took Sara’s left nipple between a thumb and forefinger and twisted sharply to the right, then pulled it way out and gave an emphatic squeeze. Sara groaned. “Now class,” said Dr. Singleton, “how would we know whether Sara is sexually stimulated by this or not?” A few hands went up. Dr. Singleton called on a guy in the first row. “If she is excited, her vagina will be moistened,” the guy said.

“Moistened”! I was wet, I could tell. I was afraid someone might be able to smell something. Sara was probably sopping.

Dr. Singleton said “Correct.” She looked at Professor Malik. “Please apply the test.”  Professor Malik took what looked like a popsicle from his shirt pocket and pulled off the wrapper. “Sara,” directed Dr. Singleton, “lower your jeans and your panties so that Professor Malik may apply the test.” Sara was stricken. She actually blanched. She looked pleadingly at Dr. Singleton, who just stared at her and began tapping her fingernail on the lectern. Sara undid her jeans, then squirmed them down to her knees. Turning slightly away from the camera (and toward me), Sara pushed her cotton briefs down over her thighs. I could see her brown pubic hair.

Professor Malik stepped up to her. “Sara, squat down some,” commanded Dr. Singleton. Sara gave a despairing look at the ceiling and lowered herself. Professor Malik slowly inserted the popsicle thing into her. It went in without a hitch. I noticed Dr. Singleton smiling, pleased. We all knew she’d been proven right. Professor Malik withdrew the instrument, then pulled a cap over it and looked at the measurement on the side. “3.2,” he announced. “Class,” said Dr. Singleton, “Sara is in the ‘very excited, ready for intercourse’ range of the scale. She responds sexually to domination and humiliation.” We all looked at Sara, imagining her excitement. She looked embarrassed. And excited.

“However, there is one possibility left unchecked,” stated Dr. Singleton. “Sara might merely react sexually to being put on public display – she might be a sexual exhibitionist. Now the test for this is important, because submissives often have some aspect of exhibitionism in them. The distinction, though, is that submissives get excited from exhibitions that are not otherwise sexual.” A student asked Dr. Singleton to clarify the point. “If Sara is an exhibitionist, she will not become excited by humiliation of a non sexual sort. If she is a submissive, then any domination in a sexually charged situation like this one will be sexually exciting.” We all took notes. The camera whirred.

“Does someone have a spare ball-point pen, one they will not need later?” A girl in the second row offered a blue bic. Dr. Singleton took it and held it up for the class to see. “Is this sexy?” Heads shook, no. “Will it be a satisfactory dildo?” A few titters. Sara’s eyes closed.

“Now, class, what part of your body don’t you want to exhibit to a potential mate? What do you hide?” No one said anything. “Come on. You,” Dr. Singleton stepped in front of a good-looking guy, “what don’t you show before you engage in sex?” The guy grinned, “my ass...but then I’m straight.” Some laughs. Dr. Singleton made a chopping motion in the air, “This is not a time and place to air your silly prejudices. You are right: you do not show your anus. Neither do exhibitionists. But Sara...”

She turned to Sara. “Bend over, Sara.” I knew she’d do it. Sara closed her eyes tighter and bent over. “Professor Malik, if you please.” Professor Malik went to Sara’s side, a little behind her, and pushed the pen into Sara’s asshole.  He stepped back. The pen pointed right toward me. I could see the wet on Sara’s pussy.

“Sara, turn so that your head is toward the door and your behind is toward the camera. That’s right. Now, will you please remeasure, Professor Malik?” Professor Malik took a second popsicle thing from his shirt pocket, removed the cover, went up to Sara and eased it in, below the pen. He removed it, capped and measure. “4.1,” he said.

“We see,” said Dr. Singleton, “that Sara is at an extreme of readiness for sex, nearly at the ‘weakening of motor control’ mark. In fact, it is not good to reach this stage of excitement without proceeding to climax. So, Sara, you may bring yourself to climax. Put your right index finger on your clitoris and move circularly. Also, because you are a submissive, it will help if you manipulate the pen with your left hand.” 

Unbelievably, Sara did just what she said. She began diddling herself right in front of the class and camera. And she pulled the pen out, then pushed it in. Sara’s knees sagged, which Dr. Singleton noticed. “Sara, you may kneel on the floor.” Sara dropped to her knees and learned forward, never missing a beat in her masturbation. I couldn’t stop watching. Sara began rotating the pen and jerking her hips. She was close. I heard Dr. Singleton’s voice.

“Class, we have established that Sara is a submissive, not an exhibitionist. We have corrected predicted submissiveness on the basis of the personality inventory scale. This establishes that submission is traceable to personality, not merely to training or experience. Deviance can be predetermined.” Dr. Singleton turned and watched as Sara went into orgasm. When Sara twitched to a stop, Dr. Singleton signaled for the camera to shut off.

The class put away their notebooks. Sara starting pulling up her panties.

“One more thing. While we have established the point for Sara, there were actually two scores in the submissive range of the scale in this class. 

“Will Carrie Thomas please raise her hand?”

People looked at me. I raised my hand. “Bring your books and come with me to Professor Malik’s office,” stated Dr. Singleton. “And bring your pen. We must finish proving that the test predicts correctly.” The guy next to me winked and smiled. I nearly died.

I knew I’d go. I had to. I wanted to.