Final answer:
The empirical research most strongly supports emotional regulation as a key aspect of emotional intelligence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The aspect of emotional intelligence that is most strongly supported by empirical research is emotional regulation. This refers to the ability to manage and control one's emotional responses in various situations. Researchers, such as Mauss and colleagues, have studied automatic emotion regulation (AER), which happens without us actively thinking about it, showing how it can affect all aspects of emotional processes and behaviors after an emotion is experienced.