The default response types within the Workflows tool are: Approve, Return, and Reject. When creating workflows templates, you may need to further define the phrasing of a response in a way that more accurately describes the meaning of the response.
For example, you might need to add a response to a template that moves a workflow forward without labeling the response 'Approve'. In this case, you would create an 'Approve' response and give it a custom label other than 'Approve'.
There is no functional difference between the individual response types of 'Approve', 'Return', and 'Reject'. However, types are useful for the organization of custom responses and for locating available responses when editing a step on a workflow template.