pink....for one thing, it gives intermittent reinforcement (the strongest pattern of reinforcement) for the hope that the relationship will finally become the fantasy dream that we cling to from when we first met that person.. That we will become nurtured and valued and matter to someone..therefore never be abandoned and alone.
Rather than that bond being broken by the bad times....we get hooked back in again by the period of good behavior..strenthening the bond each time.
The abuser is aware of this, of course, at some level. That is how they "know" that we require some good times to keep us there. As the abuser becomes more confident in the power...the episodes of the good times can become shorter and shorter.
It is amazing how well the abuser learns our buttons and knows just where to push them to rope us back, again.
This is the way I view it...
dandylion