Hello- I saw this question on a mock exam about why would an administrator change the value of the spanning tree priority of a switch.(it didnt specify how it would change the value) I thought the answer would be to make/deny the switch to be the root bridge. Here is what the wiki says
Each switch has a MAC address and a configurable priority number; both of these numbers make up the Bridge Identification or BID. The BID is used to elect a root bridge based upon the lowest priority number; if this is a tie then the numerically lowest MAC address wins. Because it is next to impossible that two MAC addresses will be the same (they are uniquely assigned), one switch should always be successfully elected as the root bridge with the switch that has the next lowest priority/cost acting as a secondary (backup) root bridge. Other switches in the network that use spanning tree will use the same algorithmic process to calculate the shortest path to the root bridge and so produce a loop free tree topology where multiple paths to the root bridge exist. The priority number is normally left at its default value but can be reconfigured to a lower number if the network administrator wishes a particular switch to be elected; otherwise the whole process is fully automated.
However the answer was -in order to optimize the path that frames take from source to destination
I am wrong to think that you would only change the priority to win/ lose the election process