Proficiency in mathematics is a major advantage in industrialised nations. Here we discuss several emotional impediments to mathematics achievement, namely mathematics anxiety and stereotype threat. Synthesising findings from empirical studies in the fields of cognitive, social, and educational psychology, as well as neuroscience, we discuss some of the ways that affective factors can negatively impact mathematical performance and lead to avoidance of mathematics and mathematics-related fields. We bring together the mathematics anxiety and stereotype threat literatures by suggesting that these two phenomena share a common underlying mechanism, which causes disturbance in mathematics performance. We end by suggesting a number of potential interventions aimed at reducing the negative consequences of anxiety and stereotype threat on mathematics performance--interventions fueled by an understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms by which mathematics anxiety and stereotype threat work to impact performance.