Final answer:
Cash registers in the 1900s had significant social effects by enhancing transaction efficiency in businesses and altering consumer behaviors, which contributed to the rise of a more impersonal market economy and greater acceptance of consumer credit.
Step-by-step explanation:
The social effects of 1900s-style cash registers were significant in transforming both the workplace and consumer behaviors. Cash registers, by increasing the efficiency and accuracy of transactions, facilitated a shift towards more impersonal and efficient economic interactions. These machines were part of a broader transformation that included factors such as industrial advancements leading to mass production and the rise of consumer culture. The efficiency afforded by cash registers freed employees from tedious calculations, reducing errors and thus enhancing the reliability of retail businesses. This increased the pace of business transactions and supported the expansion of a more diverse market of goods.
Moreover, as money became the primary measure of transactions, social relationships diminished in economic importance, and the wealth of an individual often came to be judged on their ability to honor contracts rather than personal connections. As registers became widespread, they also played a role in changing perspectives on credit and consumption, as they allowed for tracking of credit sales more effectively, leading to the credit purchase option on large purchases becoming more socially acceptable, laying the groundwork for consumer credit as we know it today.
In summary, the effects of cash registers in the 1900s included shifting market transactions toward efficiency and reliability, changing social dynamics around credit and consumption, and fostering economic growth by accelerating business operations.