However, even though a significant number of individuals with MS have impairments in emotional processing, we do not yet have an understanding of how these impairments affect the social functioning of individuals with MS, including the impact of these deficits on family structure. It is well-known that MS impacts one's social functioning including factors such as employment, daily living activities and interpersonal relationships. Recently a strong correlation was observed between reduced social participation in MS and quality of life. There is evidence to suggest that emotional processing deficits lie at the heart of this reduced social participation in persons with MS, leading to decreased social functioning and thus reduced quality of life. However, to date, this hypothesis has not been tested.