States in quadrant I are typified by the basic attitude of wanting. In this quadrant there is a forward impulse urging the subject to approach in order to attain some potentially positive aspect of the stimulus. Oppositely, in quadrant III, states are typified by the basic attitude of not wanting. In this quadrant there is a backward impulse urging the subject to withdraw in order to avoid some potentially negative aspect of the stimulus. Whereas the states in quadrants I & III are about stimuli with potential value, states in quadrants II & IV are about stimuli with actual value. States in quadrant II are typified by the basic attitude of liking. In this quadrant there is an inward impulse urging the subject to embrace in order to sustain some actually positive aspect of the stimulus. Oppositely, in quadrant IV, states are typified by the basic attitude of not liking. In this quadrant there is an outward impulse urging the subject to expel in order to reject some actually negative aspect of the stimulus. With these features in mind, it is easy to see that upon primary appraisal of a stimulus, states can be automatically narrowed to a specific quadrant simply by noticing if some aspect of the stimulus has positive or negative value and if that value is actual or potential. Subsequent appraisals of other factors are needed to specify states more precisely.

    This arrangement of quadrant properties places opposite states, having opposite values for both impulse and protovalence, as polar opposites in the plane. States that have the same value for protovalence but opposite values for impulse are termed complements. States that have the same value for impulse but opposite values for protovalence are termed conjugates. For example, some states in quadrant I (states of wanting) are characterized by feelings of receptivity. Oppositely, some states in quadrant III (states of not wanting) are characterized by feelings of aversion. In quadrant II (states of liking), the complements of states characterized by receptivity are themselves characterized by feelings of appreciation. Finally, in quadrant IV (states of not liking), these conjugate states would be characterized by bitterness.