Psysiological and behavioral indices of emotional arousal and mood during performance in a simulation game were investigated. The hypotheses tested were: (1) there will be attitude change following participation in the social simulation game, Ghetto; (2) this change in attitude will be related to the players' emotional involvement in the game as measured by heart rate and self-reported mood (i.e., both covert and overt measures); and there will be a "spread of affect" at times during the game, i.e., the emotional arousal (as indicated by fluctuations in heart rate) experienced by one participant in the game situation, would generalize to other participants. The essence of simulation games was assumed to be to capture (via structured situations) the psychological and environmental determinants of particular cognitions. The attitudes recorded were those of the 15 undergraduate players toward the consequences of living in a ghetto. The results provide some support for the validity of the hypotheses, but the complexity of the relationships calls for more controlled experimentation. Various explanations for attitude change through the use of simulation games are presented. (Author/KS)